


Echo

by andtheny (orphan_account)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22780945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/andtheny
Summary: A corrupted gem came running at him and Steven scrambled to stand up, to try and run, though he. Moved. Too. Slowly.He would've been killed.But then Pink ran in front of him with his shield up. It was disorienting. The ultimate out of body experience.Could he do it on purpose?
Relationships: Crystal Gems & Steven Universe, Pink Steven Universe & Steven Universe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 123





	Echo

The first time Steven was too young to remember. He was just a baby. 

Pearl really believed Rose was still alive and trapped in his body, so she removed the gem.

A pink baby formed around it and cried so loudly it almost shattered them all!

Garnet was the one who placed the babies together. They hugged and merged together.

"Huh," Amethyst said. "It's like fusion?" 

Pearl was crying. "But that means…" 

Garnet held the baby up. "This is not Rose Quartz. He's a new being." 

oOo

The second time was an accident. They were on a mission, trying to poof a den of corrupted gems. They'd miscalculated just how _many_ there would be.

Steven was 13.

The funny thing about it was that it didn't hurt at all. In fact, he almost didn't notice.

He'd gotten knocked down, sure, and the monster had gotten a good hit in... but you'd think getting a gem knocked out of your gut would feel like a sucker punch at least.

Instead it felt like he was running in slow motion. Everyone was zipping by around him.

Suddenly exhausted, Steven curled up on the ground. 

Did he lay down or did he fall? It was hard to say.

Then he tried to create a bubble. Nothing happened.

For the first time in a long time, Steven was completely defenseless.

A corrupted gem came running at him and Steven scrambled to stand up, to try and run, though he. Moved. Too. Slowly.

He would've been killed.

But then Pink ran in front of him with his shield up.

It was disorienting. The ultimate out of body experience. For a while all he could do was stare at him.

Pink Steven carried on the fight by himself, mostly working on defense.

When they were closer together, inside a bubble, they slid back into place.

Then they were back in the fight as if nothing had happened.

Later, when he was safe, Steven would stare at himself in the mirror.

"H-hello? Uh... Mom?"

But there was no answer.

oOo

Steven sat in the lotus style, trying to imitate Garnet's pose exactly.

"And match my breathing," Garnet added.

"Oh, this is a bad idea!" Pearl said. "A very bad idea."

"It won't hurt him," Garnet said.

"Just let him expirement, P." Amethyst was sitting even closer than Garnet, leaning forward to catch the show."

"But what if-"

"Pearl. It won't. Hurt him."

"I just want to see him again," Steven said. "I can't believe you guys didn't _tell me-"_

_"_ Ah, ah, ah," Garnet admonished.

Steven sighed. "There is no he. There's only me."

"Good grasshopper." Garnet removed her sunglasses, giving him her most serious serious look. "You aren't a fusion."

"You thought he was," Pearl said. "And what if his human half-"

"Chill out, P! Let them breath." Amethyst was leaning so far in Steven's face she was practically in his lap.

"You need to take a few steps back yourself," Garnet said.

Grumbling, Amethyst did so.

"It might help if you close your eyes." To demonstrate, Garnet closed her own.

"Uh, actually maybe this is out of my league," Steven said. "I mean I couldn't even fuse the normal way-"

"Not fusion!" Amethyst cackled. "Hey, why don't we just yank the gem out? It worked the last two times."

"That was traumatic for Steven!" Pearl protested.

"There is a peaceful way to separate," Garnet said, as sure as the Sun. "Let him concentrate."

So Steven sat and breathed and tried to keep his eyes closed.

"You're alone with yourself," Garnet said. "Like looking in a mirror. You're waving."

Steven waved.

Amethyst laughed.

"You know what? We're going outside," Pearl said.

"But it was just getting good!"

"Let them fade away into the background," Garnet said.

They continued to bicker, but Steven let them fade away.

A door slammed shut.

"Ugh, they were just _walking_ away," Steven muttered.

"You're looking in a mirror," Garnet insisted.

"Right. Mirror." Deep breaths, Universe.

"Take a walk. It's a nice day. Windy. You can hear the leaves rustling."

"Leaves. Are. Rustling. Totally rustling."

"You arrive at a pond."

"Mhm." His foot was falling asleep.

"See yourself in the water."

_It's just me,_ Steven thought. _Normal skin and hair. No pinkness._

_"_ I'm throwing a pebble into the pond," Garnet said. "Pay attention to the ripples through your reflection. The fragmentation."

_This woman's voice is like a calming tempo,_ Steven thought. _A metronome. No, she's the bass guitar- no uh... well, it's music for sure._

_Think up some cool lyrics, something meaningful and life affirming._

Steven opened his eyes. "Wait, what were we doing?"

Pink blinked. "What _were_ we doing?"

Steven screamed.

Pink shushed him and ruffled his hair.

Then he was gone.

Garnet grinned. "So it _can_ be done."

Steven stood up. "You weren't sure?!"

"Oh there was a 97 percent chance nothing would happen," Garnet said. "I just wanted to humor you."

Steven gulped. "G-good to know."


End file.
